The Regular Force Cadet Association

Once a cadet, always a member

Nearly fifty years ago, I made my career choice – the regular army! (The promise of the Field Marshal’s baton and all that!)

Fate had other ideas.

Despite gaining selection for the RF Cadets – Puttick Class 1957 – and completing five and a half months of fantastic army life, (with the bonus of cricket in the summer and footie in the winter – paradise indeed) a crisis in my family saw me back in civvy street doing the support thing!

Believing, as we all did in our youth, that I would live forever and that I would get back to the army, it seemed a relatively minor issue to go home and come back later.

The pressures of building a career; the many new friends and influences that life throws at us each day; meeting and marrying a wife with an incredible taste in spouses, the inevitable family and mortgages, all conspired to set me on a new course.

I studied accountancy at night school, while delivering milk from 5am to 7.45am daily (its true that two of our kids had the local milkman as a father!), holding junior management jobs during the day, and with each successful examination winning job promotion until eventually becoming a Chartered Accountant and winning senior management jobs – ultimately Chief Executive Officer in substantial public companies.

Parallel with my army contemporaries, we had 33 homes in 41 years whilst “chasing” career aspirations!

A satisfying career, a supportive soul mate and wife, four fantastic children complete with well chosen spouses in happy marriages, seven fascinating grandchildren and still healthy and enthusiastic enough to be running my Chartered Accountancy practice here in Tauranga and a Management Consultancy and Training Business in Auckland, as well as a few directorships – what more could I want?

I was immensely proud of being one of the ‘chosen few’ – I have no doubt at all that the lessons learned in those few months when we are all so receptive to influences, have worked to enable me to achieve the success I have enjoyed.

I have preached to my family the dual necessities of learning self reliance and independence yet recognising the absolute need of building and trusting strong interpersonal relationships, founded on mutual respect. RF Cadet School certainly taught these two pillars.

My preaching must have fallen on fertile ground because both my sons joined the services – the eldest the Air Force, the youngest currently serving as an MP Sergeant at Waiouru) and have benefited immensely from the experience.

The one nagging disappointment was having had to drop out of the Cadets!

On a number of occasions over the years I have received invitations to attend RF Cadet reunions and other functions but have always declined on the grounds that I would probably not be well received not having graduated. I had joined the RF Cadet Association a few years ago – I suppose feeling that this was some ‘re-connection’

The recent ‘bad publicity’ regarding Cadets had a huge impact on me. Much to my surprise I felt personally affronted by the assertions and the reflection they had on an organisation I had been proud to have been accepted into and whose influence I had cherished.

It bothered me so much, that I wrote a very strong “opinion” to the Minister, making it clear that nothing of the nature complained of had occurred during my term, of that I was certain.

I felt obliged to record my view that, far from being injurious to the Cadets the experience would have to have been the most beneficial possible.

I was really upset and was amazed at my passion!

This passion re ignited a desire to ‘re-connect’ – just to ‘put my money where my mouth was’!

The weekend of 30-31 July 2005, saw me commence a new adventure! I resolved to attend the Mid-winter dinner and AGM of the Association, despite actually knowing no one else attending.

What a marvellous surprise!

The Dinner was well attended and the friendliness and welcome from ‘complete strangers’ to myself and my wife, simply because I was ‘one of them’ – no questions asked, no judgement -was overwhelming!

I now know beyond doubt that being one of the ‘chosen few’, even for a very short period made one a member for life! Thanks fellows!!

Why am I writing this?

Simply in the hope that the many others, who like me, did not have many years in the Cadets, will learn of the friendships to be recovered by attending the functions and do so before it is too late!

I will certainly be at the next AGM; Puttick Class 50th in January 2007 and the 60th Anniversary in 2008 – you can bet on it!

Jim Anderson -- Jim@cabusiness.co.nz